Ha Long Bay
One of the most beautiful places in Vietnam, about 180 kms East of Hanoi, Ha Long Bay has thousands of karst limestone islands all topped with rain forest. The emerald water is warm. Sunsets and sunrises take on a magical aura. An overnight boat trip is a must when visiting the bay.
Such a good trip with a nice surprise…….. we arrived in Ha Long we met Lynn and Wolfgang. I worked with Lynn at Pick n Pay but I had not seen her for several years so I had no idea that they were in Vietnam. Coincidentally they were booked on the same boat trip as Mo ‘n Me. It was great to spend the weekend with them in this beautiful bay. We also enjoyed the company of Huyen and Mai and had fun together trying to catch squid off the boat at night with no luck but lots of stories and laughs. Great company on the bus and the boat were Melina and David. As for the boat “Bellezza” the cabins were comfortable, the food was excellent and the people, both passengers and crew, were great. We went kayaking and caving, we had a cooking class in the evening and a Tai Chi class at sunrise. What a delightful experience. So peaceful yet much fun.
Cruising into the bay 
Bliss 
Thousands of these 
So lovely 
Up Close 
Trader 
Another boat at anchor 
Our boat Bellezza 
Sun starting to set 
Sunsetting 
Sunset 
Sunrise 
Lynn and Elred 
Mo and Lynn at breakfast 
Kayaking to the beach for a swim 
Experts 
David and Melina 
Melina and David kayaking 
Wolfgang and Lynn 
Mai and Huyen 
Huyen 
Mo and Mai 
Me ‘n Mo
Sa Pa
Another of Vietnam’s beautiful landscapes, Sa Pa is about 320kms Northwest of Hanoi. A totally different experience from Ha Long. It was rainy, foggy and fairly cool for a start. Mo is most in her element in the mountains so Sa Pa was high on her list of places to go. It’s a long 4 hour bus journey and we were on a bus with bunk seats like recliners that could not be adjusted so you lay back whether you wanted to or not!
Laid Back 
Difficult to see the view
The local population are mostly indigenous people of Hmong, Tay and Dao origin. Traditions are very strong and the people are proud of their heritage. We went trekking with a lovely lady guide who brought her beautiful baby along for the walk. We walked along the roads through and above the terraced rice paddies and through the valley. So beautiful and peaceful. The local ladies took care of Mo making sure she did not slip on the treacherous, muddy paths.
All about Sa Pa 
View of Sa Pa town 
Happy Mo 
Our Guide 
Terraced rice paddies 
Trekking through the valley 
Rice Paddies and mountains 
More Rice Paddies 
Our Homestay accommodation 
Just walking in the rain 
Soggy but cool 
Mo and her helpers 
Village 
Technology time 
Lovely local lady 
All handmade including the dying and weaving 
So talented, such skill 
Local dance troupe
The local ladies took care of Mo making sure she did not slip on the treacherous, muddy paths.
Fascinating place, amazing traditions, lovely people. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Sa Pa
Da Nang
Time for some fun. I had spent time in Da Nang and Hoi An and I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share the experience with Mo. I did not see all I wanted to as I was hell-bent on getting to Hanoi on time so it was a good opportunity to return and take in the sights. In Da Nang two of the tourist attractions are the Marble Mountains and the recently opened theme world in the Ba Na Hills.
Ba Na Hills
This resort is famous because of the spectacular “Hands Bridge” opened in 2018 but there is much more to it than that. It is a resort built on top of a mountain with a distinctly olde worlde French flavour (“Why?” I hear you ask. “Dunno” is my response!) Anyway it seems to work. There is an entire French medieval village built on the slopes that has all of the touristy things you will need – hotels, cafe’s restaurants, boulangeries, wax museum, fun rides, 3D movies, flower garden, the obligatory Buddha statue and best of all a Beer Garden (German style but who cares?) – where your first beer is free. As it is built across valleys on the mountain tops there are 5 cable-ways and one funicular to transport people around. You pay a fixed fee (currently VND 700000 pp – R436.00/USD30.00/GBP23.00) and then all of the entertainment and rides are included in the price. It’s cheesy but we had a delightful day.
Firstly though – as it is 42 kms from Da Nang transport was an issue – no problem – we hired a scooter and navigated ourselves there and back!
Intrepid – always exhilarating and interesting to ride a scooter in a big Vietnamese City 
Note the “Hello Kitty Helmet”
Then off the “The Golden Bridge” – It only opened in August 2018 so we were among the first to enjoy the experience
First a ride on the longest non-stop cable-way in the world (5.2kms long gaining 1.3kms in height) 
Relaxing ride 
Nearly there 
First view of the bridge 
The bridge is great but the view is stunning 
Enjoying the view
We had a delightful day riding all of the cable-ways (more than once!) and the funicular, walking around the faux French quarter, watching 3D movies and of course having a pint or two
It was foggy! 
A bridge not too far! 
Cool Cat! 
Love is in the air – 1300 metres up in the air 
No not MacDonalds thank goodness 
Dressed to impress 
The gardens are superb 
Meditation Area – peaceful 
Architecture is whimsical and clever 
As I said.. whimsical and clever 
Well-kept gardens 
….and more… 
Ba Na Hills 
White Buddha admiring the view 
Happy Buddha 
Funicular 
Village view 
Bridal couple 
Chateau 
So French! 
Watching 3D movies 
At last – we hunted for this.. 
Aaah nothing tastes as good as a free beer
Then back to Da Nang for a well-deserved pint at the local beach bar.
I think Mo is having fun!
Fire-breathing Dragon Bridge
I had to take Mo to see the Dragon Bridge breathe fire so we went to the same rooftop bar (Seven Bridges Taproom) as I had been with Jamie and Luke. It was a beautiful evening. We had a few pints and a good supper while we waited in anticipation for the appointed hour – 21:00! The time came and went with nary a whisper … nay … whisker of smoke. It was then that the taproom manager informed us that the President of the country had been buried that day and the Fire-breathing had been cancelled. We all put down our cameras, tablets and phones and resumed beer consumption. Much to our merriment, the folk on surrounding rooftops had not been given the message so they stood waiting in anticipation for another 30 minutes
Guardian Dragon 
Riverside 
River 
Dragon Bridge Da Nang 
Waiting for the fire 
The others still waiting for the Dragon to Fire 
Pint – of course IPA 
Great evening
Marble Mountains
In South of the city of Da Nang are a range of 5 mountains of limestone and marble, named after the 5 elements. (metal, wood, water, fire and earth) The area is also very well known for magnificent marble carvings. The mountains are full of caves and fun tunnels to explore along with temples and shrines.There are magnificent views from the top. The day we visited it had been raining and the marble was very slippery making the visit so much more interesting!
Shrine Garden 
Fine Frame 
Shrine in big cave 
Looking upwards 
Slippery Steps 
Marble Mountain 
View from top – another Marble Mountain 
View to sea
We liked Da Nang, definitely a place to revisit but nearby, just 22 kms away is Hoi An, a delightful small town.
Hoi An
Such a lovely town with a great beach nearby, Hoi An is a good mix of touristy scenic spots and superb preserved architecture and traditions. The people are friendly, the food is good and you can get tailor-made clothes in just one day. We loved Hoi An by night – it is beautiful.
Typical street 
Up the street 
Down the street 
Old architecture 
Sunset over the river 
Hoi An 2018 
Hoi An 
Love all the lights 
Down by the river 
Traditional lanterns 
Night market 
Bridal Couple at Chinese Bridge 
Fascinated! 
Street scene 
Fruit vendor 
Fresh fruit in abundance 
Dragon Fruit 
Rule #1: Always find a decent pint 
Hotpot and rice 
Hungry man 
So well presented 
Mo said “No!” 
Silk dresses made to measure
So that was Mo’s adventures in Vietnam – but do not go away – the next chapter is Mo’s adventures in Cambodia.
Looks like you two had an awesome time in Vietnam – amazing place – so glad you two special people got to enjoy this together. Brought back so many happy memories looking at your photos.Much love and loads of good wishes for the new year ahead.
Mich xx
ElMo, you guys certainly had a fabulous time. What amazing experiences, and great pics.